With two kids graduated from Windsor High, Irion still ready to serve

Carlene Irion has never been a woman to sit back and wait for things to happen.

Since moving to Severance 17 years ago, she has always been active with the Windsor-Severance Re-4 School District. Both her daughters were students in the district, and she wanted to help anyway she could.

From AD HOC committees at Tozer Primary School, Windsor Middle School and Windsor High School, to sitting on the committee to develop a mission for the high school, to being a part of the district’s accountability committee, Irion has always let her voice be heard.

So now that her daughters have both graduated, one would think Irion was ready for a break. Not so. Irion has thrown her hat into the ring for the available Windsor-Severance Re-4 School District Board of Education Director District C seat, which is currently held by Trent Leisy, who is re-running as well. The election is Nov. 3.

Director District C includes Severance and much of the northeast portion of Windsor. Although the directors are elected to represent a specific district, the entire school district votes for the directors.

But she didn’t decide to run because she thought there was anything wrong with the current makeup of the board. She said her experience with the district has always been a positive one.

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“Every step of the way was wonderful. Do I have any issues or concerns about the current board? Absolutely not,” she said. “Initially, I thought the District C seat would be vacant. A couple of my friends approached me, and the more I thought about it the more I wanted to continue my involvement. I guess a part of me wasn’t ready to give up.”

Irion, 56, said she brings critical thinking and the desire to look at all aspects of an issue to the board. She would also like to see a marquee sign at the high school.

“If people were informed of what is going on, I think more people would attend,” she said.

Communication has never been one of Irion’s shortcomings, she joked.

“I look forward to being a person that stands up for what I believe in, she said. “Those who know me know my voice has always been heard.”

Irion said of everything she’s done in the district, she’s most proud of the new middle school in her own back yard.

“We took a field trip to investigate different land for the new schools,” she said. “As it turns out, the middle school is just west of where we looked at.”

She is also happy she had a role in reintroducing the FFA program to the high school.

“That program has been wonderful to our family,” she said. “Christina is now majoring in ag business at the University of Wyoming as a result of that program.”

In the end, Irion said she would be honored to serve the people of District C.

“I think I connect well with the community,” she said. “I think I’m a very honest person. And I think I always strive to do the right thing.”